Upon Another Night
by TempestParamour
Summary: The Circus continues on. Widget had thought that the Circus had changed enough with the irritating addition of Kristoff, the new wild-cat tamer. Then he meets Ana-on the same night that Kristoff does.
1. Chapter 1

A/N**: I own nothing that is Night Circus—that glory belongs to Erin Morgenstern. I do, however, own my OCs. Just putting it out there. Read, review and enjoy!**

_Night 1: First Impressions _

_Or_

_Through the Chocolate Bat's Wing_

Ana's POV

I don't remember how Suzanne managed to drag me out there to the middle of nowhere, or how she even knew where to _find_ it, but I'm glad she did.

The circus was gorgeous and otherworldly, and I fell in love with it the moment I stepped through the starry velvet curtains onto the grounds. I took a moment to just absorb my surroundings, nearly forgetting all about my friend as I took deep breaths of chocolate, cider, popcorn and caramel as it drifted on a breeze, my blue eyes wide as I wondered how long it must've taken them to paint and powder the grass in such intricate patterns. The stark monochrome-striped wonderland was only enhanced by the other visitors, whose everyday clothes seemed almost alien with color.

Suzanne stepped through the curtain, nearly knocking me over as I observed a juggler, and grabbed me about the wrist with a giggle. "What're you standing around for, silly? I thought I told you to go get us a snack!" she shook her head in exasperation before smiling at me. "Never mind, at this rate we won't make it! C'mon, let's go!" I didn't get the chance to tell her that it'd been _her_ I'd been waiting for; I settled for rolling my eyes and grinning at her exuberance as she dragged me into the throng of people gathered around the enormous bonfire.

Only it wasn't a bonfire—it was a giant cauldron that formed almost a cage towards the top, and the fire within was as white as snow. Beside me Suzanne pouted as she looked at her watch. "Damn, we must've just missed the last show. We'll have to be quicker tomorrow!" She said, chin set in determination.

I laughed at her expression. "This place closes at sunrise, right? Let's get started, already!" This perked her back up, and I found myself being dragged along behind her again, this time in the direction of a sort of alleyway between two tents. I tried to read the signs or tags on the tent doors as we passed, but Suzanne was going too fast for me to make out the intricate writing. "Do you even know where you're going?"

She scoffed, tossing her sunshine-colored hair over her shoulder as she swerved around a tall platform. If I craned my neck high, I could see a pretty Asian woman twisting her body in ways I could never have fathomed before. "Of course I do! I came here last night, didn't I?" She had; she'd also spent most of today sleeping as a repercussion, and hadn't woken up until I'd come by to ask her what was taking so long. "Trust me, it's right over here!"

I fought to keep the high collar on my black wool coat closed, tucking a runaway curl of my nut-brown hair behind my ear from where it'd escaped my ponytail. "Slow down, would you?" I laughed, apologizing quickly to an elderly woman who I bumped into. "I'm not getting to see anything!"

"There'll be time for that later! We have to hurry, or we'll miss the show!" she panted, eyes wild. "Ah! See, _told_ you I knew where it was!" she crowed triumphantly and shoved me into a nearby tent flap. There was other, smaller script beneath the unreadable headline, but by then I was through. There were two rows of white wooden chairs arranged in circles around a large, stage-like area in the center of the tent. Suzanne nearly trampled a little boy on her way to grab two empty seats in the front row, practically pushing me down into mine. I opened my mouth to ask her what she was so excited about when I heard the tent flap close, and no matter where I looked I couldn't find the entrance. "Suz, where'd the door—?"

She jabbed me in the ribs and hushed me, eyes wide, just as something large and hard bumped against my leg, nudging it again. I looked down and found myself looking into the faintly glowing, gold eyes of a Siberian tiger. The thing that had bumped me was its head, as it was doing it again, but more insistently. I gazed around the dim interior of the tent to see other large cats dispersed among the audience, slowly making their way towards the center, but this one seemed intent on taking me with it.

"What do I do?" I whispered to her, eyes never leaving the tiger.

"Ah, I see Marishka has found me an assistant!" Chuckled a rich male voice from the center of the ring. "Clever girl." There was the heavy tread of boots across the stage, and a gloved hand entered my line of vision as it caressed the tiger's head fondly. I looked up slowly from the glove, up the white linen sleeve of the poet's shirt he wore to the tight black leather vest he wore over it, briefly distracted by the glimpse of muscled torso so close to my face. Mentally I shook myself and looked up at his face: his bone structure was strong, classical, his lips full and currently lifted up in a bemused smirk, his eyes as golden as the tiger's and framed by his shaggy black locks. "That is, if you don't mind?" his voice was soft, but somehow managed to carry through the entirety of the tent. He offered the hand he had just used to pet one of the world's most dangerous predators, and I accepted it, the leather soft and supple beneath my fingertips as he guided me towards the stage. I spared a glance back at Suzanne, who seemed a little put out that it had been me who was picked instead of her, but smiled when she noticed my nervous expression and game me a thumbs-up in encouragement.

"Now, if you could just stand _here_," the man said, stopping me in the precise middle of the polished, ebony-painted wooden floor and stepping back. "Yes, that'll be perfect. Now, whatever you do, _don't_ _move_." He unhooked a coiled black whip from his belt, stepping to the edge of the ring, and cracked the whip at the toes of my boots.

The cats emerged from the shadows around me, eyes glinting as they began to slink around my legs in ever-growing circles until I was completely surrounded by a swirling mass of claws, teeth and muscle. I heard gasps from the audience as I tried to keep stock-still while being brushed against and pushed at by felines that weighed more than I did. He cracked the whip again, and they burst apart, disappearing into the shadows to come sprinting back out, weaving through each other and around me in patterns and knots that put the audience (and me) in awe. Another crack of the whip had them going so fast they almost seemed to be flying, and they jumped over each other in their haste. Somewhere in the dark I heard a child giggle in delight. Their master grinned with pride and excitement as another crack had them leaping _over my head_, the rhythm of their paws pounding heavily across the ground racing against my heartbeat. Which would break the sound barrier first?

When I thought my heart would fly free of my ribcage, the lash bit at the floor one more time. The enormous felines stopped, turned to face me, and charging forward leapt up. The audience gasped in either horror or delight; I couldn't be sure. I had a horrible vision of them all crashing down on top of me, crushing me under their muscled bodies, but instead all that rained down was a silvery shower of sparks. I spun around in a quick circle, searching for them, but all I found was the man beaming at my side, raising my hand in his as the audience roared with applause.

"Thank you so much for your help." He said, bowing low to me as the crowd filtered out through the re-appeared opening.

There's not much one can say after almost being obliterated by a large pack of large felines, so I settled for a smile and a quick, "It was no trouble."

He straightened, a smirk on his lips. "So I saw. Well, Lady Ana, the pleasure was all mine."

I raised an eyebrow. "How do you know my name?"

"Your little friend over there has been trying to get your attention for a bit now." He chuckled, giving her a little wave. "I'm Kristoff, by the way." He added, recoiling his whip.

"Pleased to meet you." I replied automatically, heading towards the exit.

I was stopped as he grabbed my wrist, pulling me gently back towards him. He waited until I looked him in the eyes to speak. "Do come back and see us tomorrow." _Us?_ I thought, but felt a familiar nudging at my hip before I could ask. A quick glance downward showed that it was Marishka the Tiger again.

"Okay." I was slightly embarrassed at how softly the word came out, but he just smiled and released me, ordering Marishka to his side.

"What was that all about?" Suzanne asked excitedly as we walked back towards the main thoroughfare, clutching at my arm. "Never mind, wasn't he amazing? He's so gorgeous! Aren't you glad I took you to go see his show?"

I laughed, steering us around a family of three absorbed in staring at the cauldron of fire. "I didn't really get to watch a lot of it, you know, seeing as how I was in the _middle_ of it."

She rolled her brown eyes heavenward, bumping my shoulder with hers. "The show wasn't really important—_he_ was!"

I turned to her, about to tell her how ridiculous she and her thought processes were, when I rammed dead-on into another person so hard it knocked me backward away from Suzanne into the throng of people.

Widget's POV

The electric hum in my body occurred unprecedented. I was strolling between the tents towards the snack vendors, trying not to read the pasts of the people around me, when it began. It was just after midnight as I lifted the chocolate bat to the firelight to better appreciate the image of a pretty girl caught in the intricacy of the fine chocolate swirls in its wings when I felt it. It pulsed out from my heart and reverberated like a low-voltage vibration through to my fingertips. I nearly dropped my snack in my surprise. What _was_ that?

_Mom and Dad would probably have some idea_, I thought with a mild sadness. Mom and Dad had decided to leave the circus some odd years ago, leaving the _Cirque des Rêves_ short one wild-cat tamer. Their replacement, in my opinion, was less than an equivalent exchange, but Poppet, Bailey and I had respected their decision.

And now we had _him_. Kristoff Chamberlain, the new (and by far more irritating) wild-cat tamer. I went out of my way to avoid the tent now, though I noticed subconsciously that the girl from earlier entered with her friend. I tried to push her face from my mind as I weaved among the crowds, running a hand through my wild red hair. It was stupid to try to have a romantic relationship with anyone who wasn't a part of the circus: they would grow old and die, while I stayed frozen like this for however long the circus went on. Besides that, the circus would have to leave eventually. It always did.

Ugh, I was depressing myself. My stomach growled, reminding me of my ever-present need to snack, and I devoured the chocolate bat, glad for the magic that kept it from melting in my hand as I wandered. I popped into my tent, pausing in there for a short while to record some of the more interesting "stories" I'd gotten off of some of the patrons and run through some of my favorites.

My stomach growled its unhappiness at me some while later, so I left in search of something to sate its current appetite. I went to visit my dear friend the popcorn vendor, who grinned at me and handed me a bag of chocolate- and caramel-drizzled popcorn without me having to say what it was I'd come for. _The vendors know my stomach about as well as I do_, I thought with a laugh as I turned, already happily munching away.

And promptly walked smack into her. The girl I'd seen through the chocolate bat's wing. She fell to the ground, her friend continuing on a bit as if she didn't realize her companion had been separated from her at all. "Oh, jeez, I'm so sorry!" I apologized, reaching down to help her up. She gave me a small smile, taking my slightly-sticky hand in hers and moving to stand. The current that passed from her palm to mine and back made us both gasp, and she fell again when I released her quickly.

She looked at her hand, slightly smudged with caramel, then at me, her sapphire eyes wide. "What—?"

A/N: **Sooooo? Love it? Hate it? Totally indifferent to the entire shebang? Put something in the pretty little review box, please and thank you!**


	2. The Strange, Stunning and Sticky

A/N: **Alas, I only own **_**Le Cirque des Rêves**_** in my dreams. (See what I did there? No? I'm just lame? That's cool) Read and review, **_**pleeeeease**_

_Night 1: The Strange, Stunning and Sticky_

Ana's POV

What the hell had _that_ been about? I knew my coat generated electricity, but _that_… that had been something completely different.

Speaking of different, what was with this guy? His tousled hair was a red so rich and vibrant that when paired with the surrounding tents it made my eyes burn, his eyes an electric blue. He wore a wool coat similar to mine over black jeans and high tops, and he had smudges of chocolate and caramel at the corners of his mouth. I looked from him to my hand and back, completely confused. "What—?"

His eyes were as wide with bewilderment as mine as he shook his head. "I've _no_ idea."

I felt one corner of my mouth quirk up. "Awesome."

"_Ohmigosh_, Ana!" Suzanne materialized at my shoulder, pulling me up to my feet. "What're you doing on the _ground_, you silly girl?! C'mon, we only have a few hours left, and there's still so much to see! I think I've found my way to the Carousel and—oh, you've made a friend."

The guy looked at Suzanne quizzically, as if mentally still trying to decipher what she'd just said at five-million words per hour. He seemed to give up after a moment, his gaze flicking from her to my hand to rest on my eyes. "I'm Widget."

Suzanne made a face. "Weird name."

I elbowed her roughly and held out a hand to help him up. "Nice to meet you, Widget."

His smile seemed to light up his entire face, making him seem boyish. "Nice to meet you, too, Ana." He said, hesitating for the slightest instant before taking my outstretched hand. I could feel Suzanne fidgeting beside me in impatience as his long, mildly sticky fingers closed around mine. There was a slight tingle that raced up my arm, but nothing like the lightning strike that had happened before. He looked out at the crowd at the sound of some guy calling him. No sooner was he on his feet than Suzanne was at my elbow, tugging me along behind her. I turned to wave at him over my shoulder, catching the briefest glance of his return wave before being dragged around a tent, and I had to return my attention to Suzanne and the steady flow of people around us.

"You shouldn't go talking to strange people like that, Ana." Suzanne scowled at me, pulling me into a tent, her expression one of worry.

"You didn't seem to mind it when it was Kristoff I was talking to." I retorted, gazing at the Carousel with eyes full of wonder. Beyond the twinkling lights, fantastical creatures suspended on ribbons seemed to breathe and move like they were alive as they proceeded down into a seemingly endless tunnel. Well, she had minded it, just not for the same reasons. I shook my head and gave her a smirk. "Anyway, are we here for the guys, or are we here to enjoy ourselves?"

She smiled back, though it seemed a little strained. "Can't we be here for both?"

I looked her in the eye, contemplating, before heaving a heavy sigh. "You want to go back to Kristoff's tent, don't you?" I asked, suspicious.

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, please, absolutely." She bit her bottom lip, grimacing. "But you seem to _really_ want to do the Carousel…." Ah, she must've noticed the fact that for every time I looked at her, I looked at the absolutely amazing ride behind her twice.

"I'll be fine on my own for a while." I smiled, patting her on the shoulder. "Besides, I don't want to see you drool twice in one night."

She smacked me on the shoulder with a laugh. "I was _not_ drooling… was I?"

I chuckled, rubbing at the spot where she'd hit me. "No. And hey, maybe this time you'll get picked to be his _assistant_." I added, waggling my eyebrows at her.

"Oh, shut up!" she giggled, unable to stop grinning. "Okay, okay. I'm cool. Super cool; I'm abso-freaking-lutely _chill_. I'll be back later—don't go wandering off, '_kay_?" She practically floated from the tent on her own little cloud of giddiness, leaving me by myself in the tent. I sighed when she left, feeling free for the first time the entire night. I loved her like a sister, but sometimes I _really_ just needed time to be sans-Suzanne.

Now that I was free, I stepped up to the platform and tried to decide which animal to ride as they passed. Should I ride the rabbit? The snake? The lion? There was also a gryphon and a nine-tailed fox… ugh, such a hard decision! I watched them pass in front of me on their journeys to the tunnel as I thought. If she was going to his show, I should have plenty of time to ride them all, right? But then what about the other tents that I hadn't been in? There was an awfully large amount of tents out there. What if Suzanne got lost on her way back to Kristoff's tent? What happened to Widget? Did he ever find a napkin?

_No. _I berated myself, pinching the bridge of my nose in agitation._ No. Focus, Ana. One thing at a time. Right now we're deciding what animal to ride._

"It's a hard choice, right?"

I jumped a little at the voice, turning to my left, towards the entrance where a guy stood, hands in his coat pockets. "I'm sorry?"

He strode closer, the lights casting shifting shadows on his face as he nodded to the Carousel. "Choosing which animal to ride on the Carousel."

I rubbed the back of my neck, blushing lightly. "Yeah, it is. They're all so wonderful, so life-like, and the way they _move_…." I let it trail off with a sigh. "It's almost impossible to choose."

He hummed low in his throat, stepping up onto the platform next to me as he scratched thoughtfully at his cheek. "I understand your point. Maybe you should pick one at random?"

I shook my head fiercely. "No, that wouldn't be right to the ride at all! It wouldn't do the animal justice, just to choose it because it's _there_. There has to be a reason." I sighed, tightening my ponytail.

My companion chuckled deeply beside me. "You act as if the animals have feelings, like they'd care why or why not you chose to sit on them." I couldn't think of a way to respond to that. A raven passed by, its feathers actually seeming to change hue under the lights, followed by the snake, whose every movement seemed to make it dance. "My favorite's the lion." He said after a while, breaking the silence.

It came into view then behind the nine-tailed fox, and I could practically see its muscles ripple with power. As the strange fox slowed I straddled it, resting my hands on its slight shoulders, and I heard him get on the lion behind me. "We can trade for the next ride!" He called out as we entered the tunnel. Instead of proceeding along in our line, though, it split off, he going off to the right while I continued on ahead. It was amazing: the feeling of the nine-tailed fox beneath me, the breeze on my face, and the scenery! There's a moment where I think all I see is silvery clockwork, but it quickly fades away to a glorious moonlit valley filled with glowing flowers. The full moon hangs in the sky high above, and in the distance I think I hear a waterfall. There's more wind as we travel, my fox and I, into a deep forest, the leaves on the trees silver as the stars above, the ground painted like the grounds of the circus outside.

We are skimming across an ocean, the water so still it acts like a mirror, when the ride ends and I find myself back in the tent, and I remember that I'm sitting on an extravagant piece of machinery. He stands on the platform already, and I wondered if the rides vary among people and animals.

"How'd you enjoy your ride, my dear?" he asked, offering his hand to help me disembark. His voice seemed so familiar, but I couldn't place it.

I shake my head slowly, eyes wide. "It was astounding. Breathtaking. Indescribable." He grinned down at me, giving my hand a squeeze, and I realized he hadn't let my hand go after I'd gotten off of my fox. I almost didn't _want_ to ride the lion, like I'd be cheating on the fox. I was scared, too, that the lion wouldn't be as amazing as the fox, or (even worse) that it'd somehow be better.

He seemed to read my indecision, and pulled my arm through his with a laugh. "I know that look. You're besotted with the fox. It's alright." He added when I opened my mouth to speak, ushering me towards the exit. "Just give the lion a chance sometime, okay?"

I nodded, my brow pinching together in confusion. "Of course I will. I'm sorry, but have we met before?"

"Afraid not." He _tsk_ed, holding the flap open with one hand for me to pass through before him. "My name's Bailey."

"Ana." Finally the voice clicked, and I smiled lightly, proud to have recovered the obscure memory. "Oh! Do you happen to know Widget?"

Bailey started at the question, his expression quickly shifting from surprise to bemusement. "Indeed I do. How could you guess?"

"You called his name earlier. I remembered your voice."

He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, looking mildly embarrassed. "Yes, my voice is rather loud, isn't it?" He looked around us at the thinning crowd. Only people wearing black and white remained, touches of red here and there separating them from the circus around us. Was it just me, or was the sky lighter? I scowled, looking at it more closely. How long had I been on that Carousel? He glanced down at his watch, brow furrowed. "It's getting close to closing time. Is there any tent you'd like to go to in particular?"

I shook my head. "This is my first time coming here."

He looked a little shocked. "Really? I had you pinned as a _Rêveur_."

"A what?"

He motioned to a group of girls exiting a tent completely dressed in black and white, a few of them with scarlet ribbons in their hair, one with a ruby scarf, another with a rose tucked behind her ear. "The people dressed like us, save that they have something red on them to take them away from being a part of the circus." He nodded at my hand, where the ruby in my ring gleamed briefly as if in acknowledgement. "They're our patrons, of sorts. They follow the circus from place to place."

I scowled up at him as we walk towards the entrance of a tent. "You keep saying 'we' and 'us'. Are you part of the circus?"

He grins, straightening to his full height. "As a matter of fact," he dug around in his pocket and pulled out a small black and white business card, offering it to me. "I'm the proprietor."

I felt myself pale a bit, and I quickly removed my arm from his, taking the card from his outstretched hand. "Oh, wow, I'm so sorry to have taken up so much of your time! You must have so many other things you need to do—,"

He cut me off with a laugh. "Nonsense! I like talking with guests to see how they feel about the circus, see if I can do anything to make it better." He placed his hand on the small of my back, ushering me forward into the tent. "Thank you for your company this evening, Ana. I'll be sure to send Widget over before the sun rises." He added with a wink before the flap closed between us.

I slipped the card into my pocket, smiling faintly, and turned to survey the tent I currently stood in. A sign by my hip reads _Ice Garden_, and indeed that's what it was. My breath misted out in front of me as I walked forward, my feet crunching over the thick layer of snow on the ground as my wide eyes take in the winter wonderland. Everything seemed to be entirely crafted from ice, and I wondered what kind of amazing ice carver they had to have to sculpt these masterpieces every time they moved to a new location. It must take forever. I kneeled down to get a better look at a frozen rose bush, almost able to see through it because the ice is so clear. Each thorn, petal and leaf had such an astounding level of detail, the blooms so full I thought they would snap free of their delicate stems. Overhead, the branches of the icy trees twined together to form a twisted ceiling, blocking out the top of the tent, their large trunks forming walls and columns among pathways.

"Sorry, have you been waiting long?" I jumped at the voice, bumping against the rose bush, and barely caught one of the flowers before it could hit the ground. I was too deep into the horror of what I'd done to watch Widget come towards me. "Oh, hey, it's okay. Watch the bush."

_Watch the bush? What?_ But I did, and gasped when I saw that where the rose in my hand fell off, a new bud was already blooming. I looked from his grin to the bush and back, then at the rose in my hand. "How…?"

He shrugged, helping me to my feet. His hair was an even brighter shade of red in here, more shocking. "It happens all the time. People trip into the plants or break off a piece as a keepsake, which is stupid in my opinion, and they just grow back."

I set the rose down on the ground, wiping my palms on my pants. "Yes, but how?"

He looked towards the entrance of the tent and all around us to be sure we were alone, leaning into me. I felt myself blush a bit, unable to look away from his sky blue gaze. His warm breath tickled my cheek as he whispered, "_Magic_."

He leaned back, triggering a twinge of disappointment in my chest that I quickly tried to forget ever having felt. His expression was so serious, there was no possible way to doubt it, especially after watching what I'd thought had been an ice sculpture _regenerate_. His smile reformed after he'd let me soak that in, seeing the belief written all over my face

"Why're you telling me all of this?" I asked warily. "Shouldn't these be secrets kept amongst you guys in the circus?"

He threw his head back and laughed, the rich sound filling the frozen space around us. "Silly girl, everyone knows that _Le Cirque des Rêves_ is magic! They just don't usually acknowledge it out loud."

"I see." I tugged at the cuff on my coat sleeve as a deep toll resounded through the air, making me look around in confusion. "Did you hear that?"

Widget nodded, taking me by the hand and pulling me through the tent opening. "It's the clock by the gates telling everyone it's time to go." My heart sank at the thought of leaving this wonderful place, and a feeling akin to homesickness began to grow within me with every step we took closer to the large black gates. The circus was practically empty by this point; the only sounds were our footsteps and the wind flowing between the tents. The cauldron's fire was still reaching hungrily for the sky as we passed, and I saw Suzanne's back through the bars of the fence that encompassed the entire circus, which she was leaning against, probably waiting for me.

"Oh," Widget stopped as we passed the ticket booth, motioning for me to stay put. "Just a second." He disappeared into the booth, rummaging around behind the counter for a bit before reappearing with a small silver card in hand. "Here."

I took it from him, flipping it around to read the writing:

_*This card entitles the holder to unlimited admission._

I flipped the card around to read the back:

_*Mr. Bailey Alden Clarke, Proprietor_

I clenched the thick card harder to try to stop my fingers from trembling with excitement; it didn't work. "Widget, are you sure?"

He nodded. "Positive. It's the least I can do for knocking you over earlier. And dropping you." He added with a sheepish grin. "Plus, Bailey said to."

I couldn't stop my borderline effervescent grin, either. "Thank you so much! Please, tell him I'm extremely grateful."

Widget walked me to the gate, leaning against it. "No problem. Make sure to use it though, okay?"

_***(A/N: Morgenstern, pages 267 and 511, respectively)**_

Widget's POV

I watched her run back to her friend with a smile, marveling at how happy a signed piece of cardstock could make a girl like her. Her grin seemed to threaten to split her face in two as she waved back at me, silhouetted by the sunrise. I waved back, feeling happier than I had for a long time, before closing the gates and hanging up the sign that let everyone know we wouldn't open again until nightfall.

"What're you up to, Widge?" Poppet asked from behind me, making me jump.

"Just locking up for the day. How was business?" I asked conversationally, turning to face my twin. She still had her robes on from earlier, though she carried her veils in her hand, letting them trail beside her like mist.

She raised one shoulder in a shrug. "It was the usual. Lots of girls wanting to know if there was love in their future, lots of CEOs wondering about their financial security, that kind of thing. And what I meant was," she peered pointedly over my shoulder at Ana's retreating figure, "what're you up to with _her_?"

**A/N: And so ends Night 1. Please please **_**please**_** review!**


	3. Fire of All Kinds

**A/N: Own Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus, I do not. My OCs, however, I do. Read and enjoy, you should. XD …. -_-; I'm such a nerd.**

_Night 2: Fires of All Kinds_

Ana's POV

"Aaaaaanaaaa,"

I growled at the voice, swatting at it feebly before turning over in my sleep.

"_Ana_! Ana Ana Ana Ana Ana!" Suzanne giggled, shaking me. "Come oooonnnnnn! You need to get ready so we can go, or we won't have enough time to do anything!"

"All right, all right. I'm getting up."I groaned, throwing back the covers. A quick glance at my clock on my bedside table showed that it was just past six. The sun would start to set soon, and people would undoubtedly already be lined up at the gates by now. I rushed to get ready, Suzanne making a face at my ensemble of a black sweater and short skirt over black and white striped leggings.

"You should really try wearing more color, Ana." She sighed, watching as I pulled on my tall black boots. "People might get the wrong impression."

"Black _is_ a color, Suz." I chuckled, sticking my tongue out at her as I tugged a brush through my hair.

"What_ever_ you say." She sing-songed, glancing at the clock again. "Are you ready yet?"

I chuckled at her impatience. "Yeah, let's go." I threw on my coat, checking my pocket for the silver card before following her out of the house.

"FINALLY!" Suzanne exclaimed victoriously once we reached the front of the line, approaching the ticket booth. "I thought we'd never make it out of there!" She smoothed her hair back from where it had escaped her braid, regaining her composure before approaching the silver-clad ticket saleswoman. "One ticket, please." The woman's lips seemed to be fighting a smile at Suzanne's previous outburst as she extended the ticket between her gloved fingertips. "Hurry up, Ana!" she called over her shoulder to me, practically bouncing with giddiness as she disappeared into the velvet tunnel.

I bit my lip and stepped forward, digging the special ticket out of my pocket. "Um, do I just show this to you, or…?"

The woman's powdered face lit up with a grin, and she nodded, the black-jeweled combs in her hair glittering under the faint lights in the booth as she waved me on, beckoning for the next person in line to come forward. I smiled back at her before racing into the tunnel, the homesickness that had been building up in me from yesterday disappearing once I stepped onto the circus grounds.

"I see you got the ticket." I whirled around at the voice to find Bailey leaning against a nearby vendor's stall, looking every inch the Circus' proprietor in head to toe black with the hint of a silver handkerchief poking out from his breast pocket. He smiled warmly at me, inclining his head in a sort of bow. "Welcome back."

I returned the gesture, tucking the treasured ticket to my pocket. "Good to be back. I missed it." I added unwittingly, gazing towards the cauldron and its ever-present white flames, "The ground's changed, hasn't it?"

Bailey nodded, his smile bemused, before shrugging away from the wall. "Indeed it has. Your friend is waiting at the wild-cat tamer's tent." He tipped his hat to me and accepted the arm of a familiar Asian woman, guiding her away from the main thoroughfare.

I sighed, looking around me at all of the unvisited tents. I didn't really _want_ to go watch Suzanne hang all over Kristoff. I wanted to drink in the circus, see everything there was to offer, though a part of me deep down acknowledged the fact that even the performers probably didn't know everything about the circus. Maybe I'd just wander for a bit before meeting up with Suzanne. It was doubtful she'd be visiting any other tent but Kristoff's, so at least she'd be easy to locate later. Besides, I had my phone on if she needed me.

Decision made and stomach growling, I approached the vendor that Bailey had been leaning against earlier. I handed over the listed price for whatever it was, and he handed me a paper bag tied with black and white string. Inside were several mice made of chocolate with almond slices for ears and licorice for tails. They were so cute, I almost felt bad for eating a lot of them, but they tasted even better than they looked.

"Okay, where to first?" I murmured to myself, tying the bag closed with the remaining mice still inside and shoving it in my pocket with the ticket. I slipped between the side of the stall and a group of girls and entered the first tent I came to.

"Oh, wow." I breathed, eyes wide as I took in the tree before me. It was covered in candles, filling the tent with a warm, radiant glow. Next to the opening was a box of candles and instructions to make a wish. I bit the inside of my cheek, turning my candle this way and that. What kind of wish should I make? Love? Wealth? A mute button on Suzanne?

No, those things weren't what I really wanted (though they would definitely be fantastic). I stood on tiptoe to reach a candle on the lowest branches of the tree, using its fire to light mine. "I wish…" I bit my lip, staring into the small flame, hesitating to speak my wish out loud. "I wish I never had to leave _Le Cirque des Rêves._"

I let out a squeak of fright as the flame flared, its heat bringing the blood to my cheeks, and felt an electric hum fill my body, growing to fill the air around me. "What's going on?" I gasped, a warm breeze circling around my feet and lifting my hair from my shoulders. I cupped a hand around my candle, as if to shield it from the wind, but it was unaffected.

I leapt about a foot in the air when the woman appeared next to me, which she seemed to find hysterical as her tinkling laughter filled the space. She was almost transparent, but I could still make out her silver gown, black and white ribbons flowing behind her, her dark curls untouched by the breeze that whipped my hair around like Medusa's snakes. "Sorry to have startled you." She laughed, bright eyes sparkling. "I'm Celia, Celia Bowen."

"Ana." I replied automatically, brushing my hair out of my face as the gusts died down to a soft whisper circulating against my skin. "Pardon me for asking, but…are you a ghost?"

She chortled at that. "Oh, no, but I'm not really 'here', either." She gave an elegant shrug. "It's complicated. Anyway, I'm here about _you_, my dear, not me."

I blinked at her, confused. "You're here, for me?"

She nodded, her curls bobbing lightly. "Yes, you. You made the wish, correct? To never have to leave the circus?" My eyes flicked down to my candle, its squat flame burning merrily away, before returning to her. "I'm here to help with that."

I felt a flicker of hope ignite in my chest. "Really? How?"

Celia smiled, holding her small hand out for mine in a silent offer. She pulled her hand back a bit, fingers curling lightly, when I started to reach out to her. Her playful expression turned serious. "You have to be _absolutely sure_. This isn't something to be taken lightly, or on a whim." Her brow pinched together, as if in concentration, but her eyes were full of so much hope it gave her an air of almost…desperation. "Do you understand?"

I gazed into her deep eyes and thought about what kind of repercussions my actions would have. I had opted to graduate early, seeing no point in staying for another semester when I was finished with everything, so that was fine. I didn't have a job, and I'd never really had any future planned out. My family had been dead for the past three years; I lived with Suzanne and her family. My heart sank a little at the thought of Suzanne. She was my best (and only) friend—she and her family had taken me in when I'd had no real other options.

But did she really need me? _No_, I thought sadly, _she's always had more than enough friends to keep her occupied. She doesn't need me._ I felt pride lift me heart up a bit from where it had descended. _I am my own island, and… I'm tired of it_.

I had nothing holding me back.

The circus seemed to sense my decision, the air around me thrumming with energy. I set my chin with determination, earning a smile from Celia. She extended her hand out to me again. "You've made your decision, I presume?"

I smiled at her, switching my candle to my other hand. "I have." I paused right before our hands could meet, and with all of the emotion I could muster said, "Thank you, Celia."

She grinned encouragingly. "Be strong." Our palms met, and a feeling like fire raced up my arm, into my chest to bury itself within me. It danced along the edge of being thrilling and painful, and I clenched her very real-feeling fingers tightly. The energy poured from her into me, filling me up like a champagne flute until I felt like it would overflow.

After what felt like centuries, but was really on a matter of seconds, she let go. I shook with adrenaline, my wish candle's flame quivering in sympathy. "What was _that_?"I looked down at the fingertips of the hand she just released, where I could still feel the energy settling.

She waited for me to meet her sparkling gaze before answering. "My legacy."

Widget's POV

I jolted out of my chair, dropping the book I'd been finishing, at the electric shockwave that filled my room, disappearing almost as soon as it had appeared. "What the _hell_?" I whispered, looking down at my shaking hands. "What the hell was _that_?" I pulled on a dark green sweater so that I would be 'incognito' and exited out into the circus, seamlessly blending into a passing group of teens.

I left them as soon as I could, trying to pinpoint the source of the phenomenon. Black and white stripes blurred into gray as I sped up to a sprint, hastily blurting out apologies as I bumped into people but not slowing down.

I skidded to a stop as another shockwave went through me, and to my left I saw through the opening of the fire-breathers tent; they had frozen mid-performances, their eyes wide, for a moment before picking back up with more vigor than they usually had. To my right, I noticed the juggler add three more of his spheres to the already gargantuan amount of globes he was keeping aloft. What was going _on_ around here?!

"Widget!"

I whirled around to see Poppet jogging up to me, smiling like mad. "Poppet, what are you doing here?"

She took a moment to catch her breath, adjusting her cobalt scarf. "Same as you; looking for whatever it is that's making everything… _better_." She looked at the juggler's impassioned performance with awe before turning back to me, waving her arms excitedly in the air. "Just look at them all, Widge!"

I hushed her, taking her by the hand and tugging her toward my tent, which was thankfully empty. "I know, it's amazing, but what _is_ it? Have you seen anything in the stars lately?" I asked, a drop of suspicion leaking into my voice.

She shook her head, familiar red hair flying in all directions as it escaped her bun. "Nothing at all. But… I have noticed Celia's been acting rather strange lately. Excited, like when you're expecting a friend to come for a visit."

I scowled at my twin. "Have you spoken with Marco about it?"

She nodded, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yes, but he doesn't know what's going on with her either."

I cursed, earning a frown from her, and smiled apologetically. "I'm going to go investigate. You should get back to your tent; I'm sure you have quite the crowd lined up and waiting. People always want to know the future." I planted a quick kiss on her forehead and took off out into the walkways, feeling along the lingering path of the energy like a wall in the dark.

Tsukiko, our mysterious contortionist, huddled with Bailey a short distance away from the Wishing Tree's tent, where my trail ended. They broke apart as I approached, Tsukiko subtly shifting so that she blocked the entrance to the tent.

Bailey stepped forward, expression serious. "What's the matter, Widget? I thought you had the night off."

"I do. I felt something strange earlier," I glanced at Tsukiko meaningfully, and she nodded in agreement; she'd felt it too. "We all did. And now everyone's performing better than they ever have… well, since Celia and Marco…." I let it trail off, and Bailey nodded in understanding. "Anyway, do you know what it was?"

Bailey shook his head. "No, but the Wishing Tree's closed." I looked at him, uncomprehending. "It's closed, Widget; Like, even _I_ can't get in. Neither can Tsukiko or anyone else we've tried."

"Shit."

Tsukiko frowned at me, though her slanted eyes retained the same, all-knowing sparkle. "I think you could do better than that with our current situation."

"Note to self: Work on creative expletive usage." I smirked at her. "Got it."

Bailey threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "Could we focus here?"

I tried to wipe the smile from my face, but gave up when it failed horribly. My stomach snarled at me in hunger as I tried to think. "Have you tried going through Backstage?"

Tsukiko's eyes lit up. "No, we hadn't. Go ahead and give it a try; we'll wait here."

I rolled my eyes at her Cheshire-smile but did as I was bid, working my way through the interconnected, secret collected parts of the tents. These were the private rooms of the performers, "Backstage". I wormed my way through the slight crowds, all of the more energy-sensitive performers clustering around the back entrance to the Wishing Tree. I tried to be mildly gentle as I shoved my way to the front, my fingers feeling along the striped canvas in search of the seam that would let me in. I let out a snarl of frustration as it continued to elude me, and a hand clamped down on my shoulder.

"Here," Kristoff said with a smirk, pulling me towards the side as I glared at the hand he still had on me. "Allow me. _Marishka_!" He called over his shoulder, the tigress exploding from his shadow with a snarl, energy clinging to her in visible tendrils. The other performers laughed with delight at the show, but I ignored it, remembering how Celia had done much the same with Huginn, her raven.

What did surprise me, however, is when the tigress burst through to the other side, the door flying open as if it had been there all along. I ran after her, a very smug wild-cat tamer hot on her tail. Inside, the Wishing Tree glows more warmly than it has in _decades_, instilling some form of hope in every person's heart as they glance at it, spilling through the door I'd left open behind me. Even Kristoff and his infernal cat stopped and stared in wonder at it. I switched my gaze from the tree to the two young women closer to the other door, my eyes widening as I grew close enough to see who it was.

"Celia!" I felt a grin grow on my face, but then I looked to her pale companion, and my brow pinched in confusion. "Ana? What's going on?"

Celia turned to me, contentment almost making her glow, her "secret-keeping" smile, as Marco called it, firmly in place. "Widget, may I introduce your new illusionist, Ana Vincent." That seemed to be all she had planned to say on the matter, as she promptly disappeared with a wink before I could even begin to form my first question.

I looked to Ana, still struck mute, taking in her wide, amazed eyes and the candle that she had gripped in her lightly trembling fingers. Kristoff had wandered closer, his tigress having receded back into his shadow apparently. He covered his surprise much better than I had, coming forward and bending at the waist in a low bow; when he straightened, any hint of shock was thoroughly wiped from his Don Juan grin. "Dear Ana, what are you doing here? Your friend Sophie was most concerned when you didn't arrive at my show."

That seemed to shake her out of whatever trance she'd been in, her eyes narrowing in a burning glare as they shifted from her candle to his face. "Her name is _Suzanne_, firstly." My gaze shifted back and forth between them as if watching a tennis match, and I couldn't help but smile at his taken-aback expression. "And secondly, I was obviously making a wish; what _else_ would I be doing at the _Wishing_ _Tree_?" she quipped, waving her candle a bit as if to mark her point. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing, momentarily forgetting our current predicament.

"I—I see." I bit my cheek a little harder at the stammer in his voice, thoroughly enjoying this moment. "My most humble apologies, Ana—,"

"Save it." She rolled her eyes, and they came to rest on me. Her expression shifted from blatant irritation to surprise, her cheeks taking on a rosy tint as if she was embarrassed that I had witnessed her lashing out at the wild-cat tamer. "Oh!... Hi, Widget."

I allowed myself a chuckle, stepping purposely around the dumbstruck Kristoff towards Ana. "Here, allow me." I held out a hand, and my smile grew a bit when her blush grew as she looked at it, uncertain of what I meant. "All of the lower branches have been pretty much filled. Let me put your candle up there."

She swallowed, a little laugh escaping from her lips. "Oh, of course, here." Her fingers grazed my palm as she set the candle there, a slow burn reaching out from her instead of electricity. I turned from her to put the candle on the tree, using a bit of its own melted wax to help it stay. When I turned back around, Tsukiko and Bailey were there, Tsukiko eyeing Ana and nodding slowly to herself thoughtfully.

Bailey seemed as confused as I had been as he walked up to me. "Did you find out what it was?"

"What _what_ was?" Kristoff butted in, looking agitated. His familiar had popped back into existence and was currently twisting around him when not staring at Ana with something like longing in her golden eyes.

"The energetic force that went through the circus and made everything better than it had been for a while." Tsukiko interjected before Bailey could speak, guiding Ana over towards our little powwow. Her eyes glittered with knowledge as she addressed me. "Go on, tell them what Celia said."

Bailey's attention shifted from the contortionist to Ana and rested on me, looking annoyed. "What did Celia say?"

I looked to Ana, who nodded encouragingly, before saying, "Ana is our new illusionist."

"_Ana_?" Bailey blanched, quickly regaining his composure. He scratched the back of his neck. "That explains the reappearance of the Illusionist's tent, at least. But can Ana do magic?"

"Manipulation." I corrected, remembering Celia's word for it. "And I don't know. Can you?" I said, the last addressed to Ana, who flushed when our group all turned to look at her.

She looked down briefly at her hands before meeting each of our gazes in turn. "She said she gave me her legacy, that I was the new illusionist. Did you doubt her abilities, too?"

"Of course not." Bailey said quickly. "But we'd all seen what she could do. Just because you got her 'legacy' doesn't mean you can necessarily do what she could."

"I think an exhibition is in order." Kristoff said, patting his tigress' head absent-mindedly.

The challenge brought the fire back in her expression full force. "You want an _exhibition_?" she spat, and I watched all of the blood leech from his face with mild glee. "Fine! It's _your_ turn to play the _assistant_, you feline-loving lothario!" She reached forward across the small space, grabbing a fistful of his sleeve and wrenching him forward, sending him spinning forward and away from the rest of us as she marched after him, her hair flowing behind her. The other performers backpedaled away from the pair, lining the sides of the tent and watching with interest. We observed as she stopped a few feet from him, shrugging out of her coat and tossing it to the floor, her sweater quickly joining it, leaving her in only her silver lace camisole from the waist up. She stretched her arms out to the side, twisting them this way and that to show that she had nothing.

She raised her arms up over her head, fire the color of starlight igniting at her fingertips , and a quick glance at Kristoff showed him absolutely still against the trunk of the Wishing Tree, his expression that of a man enchanted. She flung her hands to the side, and we saw that the flames had turned into delicate silver daggers, which she gripped between each finger. One by one, she flung them at him with flawless precision so they embedded themselves into the wax-covered trunk; one above his head, at each side of his neck, under each arm, on either side of his waist, and one— classically—between the legs.

She still had one left.

Our eyes widened as she took aim, drawing her arm back, and let it fly, directly towards his heart. Inches before it could make its mark, it turned into a white poppy, its brethren exploding into snow-colored sparks. Shaking lightly, Kristoff sank to his knees, his entire focus trained on the new illusionist's back as she pulled her sweater back on, scooping her coat back up from where she'd left it. She kept her head down, hiding her face in her hair, as she all but ran from the tent.

**A/N: ooh, whatever shall happen next? Please please please review. They make me ever so happy!**


	4. Manners of Speaking: I'm Sorry

**A/N: I do not own Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus, much as I love it and wish that I did. Please leave me alone. Read, review and enjoy another thrilling installment of Upon Another Night!**

_Night 2: Saying 'I'm sorry', 'Goodbye', 'Hello', and 'Please, no more!'_

_Part I—"I'm sorry"_

Ana's POV

I covered my mouth with one hand, still horrified with what I'd just done to Kristoff (no matter how much of an ass he'd been) as I hurried away blindly from the Wishing Tree. I kept my gaze focused on the ground, clutching my coat to my chest while swerving around people, clinging to the sides of the tents.

Oh my god, how could I just _lose_ it like that?! …Seriously, _how_? I'd never had silver fire shoot from my hands before, or thrown a knife in my entire life. I wish I'd kept that poppy for myself. I loved those flowers. _Stop it stop it stop it!_ I berated myself. _Focus. Think about what you just put Kristoff through in front of all those people!_ I swallowed a groan, my cheeks hot with shame and embarrassment as I straightened, lifting my face to the starry sky and slowing to a walk. This was not how I'd intended my evening to go; I was going to explore the other tents for a bit, have fun, meet back up with Suzanne, go home, and come back tomorrow. Not that terrifying Kristoff hadn't been fun, in its own way.

The night could still go the way I wanted it to. After all, my grand total of tents I'd entered was now a pathetic three, and there were tents all around me. Spirits mildly lifted, I took a left, ducking into the open doorway of the closest tent.

It wasn't what I was expecting, though in this circus I shouldn't have assumed anything. Inside it was lined with rich velvets and silks, a chandelier sparkling above a few plush-looking chairs. I crossed the room to a beaded curtain that looked like it would shatter at the lightest touch.

"Please, do come in." I jumped at the voice, hesitant to touch the curtain, but did so gently, pushing it lightly to the side enough for me to pass through, astounded by the sound it made, like rain. In the adjoining room, a veiled woman sat across a table from me, an empty chair opposite her. Candles filled the room with flickering shadows and gave the room an overall mysterious atmosphere. She perked up a bit, sitting up straighter when I perched on the edge of the chair. "Oh! It's you!"

I peered at her, trying to make out her face through the veil, but it's impossible between the quality of the veil and the constantly shifting shadows.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" I wanted to smack my forehead onto her shiny ebony table; of course we hadn't met yet! I'd never even been to this tent before.

"Mmm, not really." She chuckled, lacing her fingers together to rest her chin on them. "Are you here to get your fortune told?"

I allowed myself a mischievous smile and mimicked her posture. "Not really."

She laughed, the light sound filling the small space, and pushed the veils away from her face, bright blue eyes sparkling at me from a heart-shaped, scarlet-hair-framed face. Her grin was impish as she took in my surprise. "Good! I needed a break!" I laughed at her exuberance, thinking of how alike she and Suzanne were. "I'm Poppet; I've been dying to meet you."

I stopped laughing, leaning back. "Why's that?"

She leaned across the table towards me, as if she was about to tell me a secret. "Who _wouldn't_ be excited to meet the girl who put the infamous Kristoff in his place? No need to be shy about it," she said with a smile when I looked to my boots. "Word travels rather quickly around here; you'll figure that out soon enough. Though admittedly, I knew about you before the others did." She whispered conspiratorially, bringing the smile back to my face.

She reclined back in her chair, resting her chin on a fist. "You will, undoubtedly, apologize to him. Kristoff."

"Of course I will!" I felt my cheeks redden. "I still can't believe I did that to him."

Poppet's smile grew. "I _also_ heard that you'd be joining us as our Illusionist. Would you like to see your tent?"

I blinked at her. "I have a tent?"

She threw her chair backwards, tossing her veils under the table and pulling on a long navy pea coat. She looped a cobalt scarf around her neck and pulled me towards the curtain I'd entered only moments ago. "Of _course_ you do! Just like you have a room Backstage. C'mon, I'll show you!"

The pathways between the tents were packed with people in all different hues and colors as we weaved our way through the circus. I tried to peek into the open doorways of the tents as we passed, Poppet dragging me by the elbow before I could really get a good view. I let out a resigned sigh; I'd have to thoroughly investigate the circus some other time. Though I supposed I'd get plenty of time to do so, now that I was a part of it, unofficially. I looked to the sky and was saddened to see the stars were already starting to fade. How was I supposed to make Suzanne understand that I was with the circus?

_More importantly,_ I thought drily, _how am I supposed to make sure she doesn't somehow worm her way in?_

"Ah, here it is!" She pulled us to a stop in front of a tent and clapped her hands over my eyes.

"Poppet!"

She laughed, pushing me forward. "Hush. Keep walking, almost there." I stretched out my hands in front of me, the heavy canvas cool as it gave before my palms. I heard the tent door flap closed behind us. She guided me forwards a bit more before removing her hands and stepping back. "Ta-dah!"

The tent was small, but in an intimate way, and set up much the same as Kristoff's had been. Two rows of black chairs were arranged in a circle around the performance area. It wasn't anything overwhelmingly fantastic, but I suppose if it _were_ anything grandiose it would take away from the performance. I turned to Poppet, where she sat in one of the chairs on the front row, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands as she watched me, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What is it?"

"Hmm?"

I shook my head, smiling softly. "Never mind."

"Oh!" Poppet shot to her feet, looking excited. "I still have to show you your room!" She took me by the shoulders and steered me to the wall of the tent precisely opposite of the entry way.

"Um, Poppet?"

She leaned around me to reach out to the wall. "Yes?"

"There's no door here."

"Sure there is!" She took my hand and used it to slip along one of the stripes of the tent. I felt my eyes widen in shock when the secret flap opened. She prodded me forward lightly until I moved through it on my own, her following quietly a few steps behind.

"Ah! It burns!" I laughed, squeezing my eyes closed.

"Don't be silly," Poppet chuckled, "it's just a bit of color."

A bit? The room was full to _bursting_ with it! It looked like the room was frozen in a perpetual sunset. Instead of stripes the walls were vibrant, fading from scarlet, vermillion and pink from one side of the room into royal purple and sapphire at the other. The colors were kept through the entirety of the room and its furnishings; enormous gold-embroidered cushions dotted the room, brilliant midnight blue curtains like mist cloaked the four-poster bed tucked away off to the side. The only things that were black were the plush rugs that lined the floor, the wrought-iron bed frame, the dresser, and the low bookshelves and table in the middle of the room.

I felt a bewildered smile tug at the corners of my lips as I took it all in. "This is mine?"

"There are still some things we need to do first," Poppet said blandly, stroking an amethyst-toned portion of the wall, "but after that it's all yours."

I eyed her suspiciously. "What kind of _things_?"

She smirked over at me. "Firstly, we have to deal with your hair."

I subconsciously my hair it over my shoulder, pulling my fingers lovingly through its length. "What about it?"

She patted my other shoulder consolingly. "We don't have to cut it or anything. It's just, the circus is supposed to be black and white. Understand?"

I nodded. "I'd rather it be black than white." I said quietly.

"Well don't look at me as if you expect _me_ to do it!" she laughed after a moment of awkward silence. "This is all you, Miss Illusionist."

I frowned at her, tossing my hair back over my shoulder. "How do you expect me to know what to do? Do I just _imagine_ my hair black?"

Her round blue eyes were focused on the top of my head as she struggled to keep from smiling. "_Apparently_!" She pointed at the mirror on my dressing table, exploding with laughter when she saw how wide my eyes grew at the sight of my hair, now as dark as pitch. "Excellent job, for not knowing what to do.

"Now, then, on to the next point of business!" she continued. "You left our wild-cat tamer in quite a state of shock, Ana."

I felt my ears burn with embarrassment. It was that time _already_?

"Besides that, the sun will be rising in a little over an hour; you still have to take your friend home and explain that you'll be leaving them soon."

I felt her flippant words twist in my stomach. Like it would be so easy!

_You chose this._ A voice admonished deep within me. _Celia gave you the option to back out, but you pressed on. It's time to do the same now, starting with Kristoff._ I bit my bottom lip before heaving a sigh, straightening my spine and raising my chin. "Okay, let's go."

"That's the spirit!" she beamed, pushing me towards the door. "You go deal with Kristoff, and I'll go see what my brother's up to."

_Why does it seem like she's getting the better end of the deal?_ I mused as I pushed the heavy canvas to the side, emerging into my performance area. I stopped short when I realized I wasn't alone in my tent. Kristoff reclined in one of the seats in the front row, his long legs stretched out before him, strong arms crossed over his formidable chest, head thrown back over the back of the chair. His long lashes made dark crescents on his cheeks, and for a moment I thought he was just using my tent as a place to take a nap. It made me jump about a foot in the air when he spoke.

"Ana."

I froze a few feet from him, watching as he straightened. His gold eyes were hot as they settled on my face, and I felt the blood pool in my cheeks in response as he rose. He stalked towards me, posture exactly like his treasured tiger's, until his face was centimeters from mine. I swallowed a gasp as his nose traced along my cheek. "Whaaaat are you doing?"

I tried to back away. Before I could get very far he grabbed my wrists, pulling me closer, and a familiar mass of muscle pressed against my legs from behind. A quick glance down confirmed my suspicion that it was Marishka. "Not so scary now, are you?" Kristoff chuckled lowly, Marishka's tail wrapping securely around my ankles.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier—," I tried to twist away from him, only to be trapped with my back against his chest, his arms tight as steel bands around my torso.

I shivered at the feeling of his warm breath on my ear. "Oh, I know. But you see, I'm sure you've heard the phrase 'actions speak louder than words'? I'm quite fond of the saying, myself. So, if you _really_ want your apology to mean anything to me, I'll require more than pretty words."

I was terrified to ask, but I had to. "What do you want?"

Kristoff's growl rumbled through him and me, like thunder, as one of his gloved hands came up to slowly trace along my jaw. "What happened to your fire, Lady Illusionist? Show me that ferocity you had back at the Wishing Tree."

I blinked, confused. He just wanted to see my fire again? I felt the energy swirl in my chest in anticipation. Oh, I'd give him fire. I smiled lightly, turning my head to the side so I could meet his gaze from my peripheral vision. I felt his heartbeat quicken, his eyes like molten gold as they bore into mine challengingly. "Whatever you say." I chuckled darkly.

Sterling fire raced along my fingertips and arms, causing Kristoff and his tigress to burst away from me. His eyes glittered madly, his grin lighting up his face as he watched the flames drip like water from my cupped hands to the ground. From where it spilled it spread out across the performance area, flattening and freezing into a large mirror.

Kristoff's wide eyes took it all in, every movement I made, every drip of my starlight-colored flames. He frowned when I didn't do anything for a bit, scowling at me from where he stood on two chairs. "Well? What ne—?" He cut off with a yell as the mirror exploded upwards; the shards formed delicate swords and daggers that floated in the air between us. I snagged a foil as it floated by, raising it above my head just as he brought his dual rapiers crashing down, making my heart nearly leap free from my chest in fright. "Ah, this is more like it." He smiled as the remaining blades stabbed themselves into the ground in a circle around the performance ring, fencing us in.

"I honestly have no idea what I'm doing." I said quickly, metalsong ringing in the air as I parried another blow from him, spinning away. The tip of one of his blades sliced through my tights, leaving a red line along my thigh, and he laughed when I lunged in response, missing him by a matter of inches.

"Your body seems to know _precisely_ what you're doing," he chuckled, leaning in so close that our blades crossed centimeters from my chest. Before I could move, he leaned through the space between our swords and pressed his lips to mine. A sound strangely resembling a snarl resounded from my throat and I kicked his stomach, making him backpedal. Enraged, I slammed my blade into the ground between us. He let out a curse as his blades flew from his hands, the rest of the swords coming to crash against mine. They twisted together and branched off into a large tree, with him caught in the center. Marishka paced around it, distraught; I laughed so hard I had to hold my sides out of pain.

"Oh my gosh, you should see your face!" I gasped, wiping some tears from my eyes. I stood up, adjusting my sweater, and smiled beatifically up at him. "Does my apology suffice now?"

"I should hope it does."

"Widget!" I gasped, whirling around to see him relaxed in a chair in the back row, close to the entrance, and felt my neck get hot as I wondered exactly how long he'd been sitting there. I couldn't tell anything from his expression as he rose, brushing some of his unruly red hair from his eyes and striding towards us. I flicked my wrist in an impatient, flustered gesture, and the entire tree collapsed into nothing silently. Marishka practically mauled Kristoff in relief when she saw her master was in no worse condition than he had been when we'd begun our little engagement.

"You changed your hair." Widget said, coming to a stop next to me, though his eyes were focused on the skin that showed through my torn tights. I discreetly covered the hole with my hand, forcing him to meet my eyes. He smiled at me, a little apologetically. "It looks good."

"Did you enjoy the show, Murray?" Kristoff asked, flushed with excitement as he stroked one of Marishka's ears.

Widget stiffened slightly, and I eyed him quizzically. "I'm afraid I only arrived to catch the finale." He replied blandly, looking off a bit in a way that made me think he wasn't necessarily telling the whole truth.

Kristoff hummed low in the back of his throat in a type of self-pleased growl. "More's the pity. It was quite…enthusing."

_I'm going to strangle him with his own whip._ I shot him a glare that he pretended not to see and turned back to Widget. "Is it time to leave?"

Widget pulled a silver pocket watch from his black jeans, something I'd never seen a teenage boy do before, and checked the time. "Just about. Suzanne should be waiting for you at the gate." He offered me his arm, which I took, and led me from the tent and through my new home to the ticket booth, the sunrise painting the tents with orange, pink and lavender.

Sure enough, there stood Suzanne, golden hair lightly whipping around her face with a faint breeze. Her face lit up with a smile when she saw me approach. "_There_ you are! I was wondering what had happened to you."

"Sorry, I got a little sidetracked." I flicked a nervous glance at Widget, who smiled at me encouragingly. "Ready to go home?"

She groaned, clutching at the fence dramatically. "_No_. They'll have to—what did the sign say again?—_exsanguinate_ me first."

Widget let out a laugh. "Silly girl, we don't really do that to people."

"Uh-huh." Suzanne looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Sure you don't."

"Come on, Suz." I said quickly, pulling her in the direction of her house. "I'm sure Widget's tired, and I know for a _fact_ that your feet are killing you in those shoes."

She let out a soft sigh once the circus was out of sight, and I struggled with the intensified feeling of despair and longing that filled me with every step I took away from its grounds. "You're right. My feet are practically _screaming_! Oh, but you should've been with me tonight! I rode the snake on the Carousel, and went through the Cloud Maze—now _that_ was fun! I found this weird tent full of bottles and things; I think it must've been a storage tent or something. Ooh, I saw the trapeze artists, too! _And_ I had this amazing pastry twist covered in cinnamon sugar. I tried to go make a wish, but for some reason that tent was closed. Maintenance work, I suppose."

"Breathe, Suz."

"Right." She took a deep breath, calming herself down a bit. "Anyway, what'd you do at the circus?"

I traced the tear in my tights. "I got some chocolate mice, and went to the fortune teller's tent."

"Oh, cool! What'd she tell you? Any tall, dark and handsome men in your future?" she laughed, elbowing me lightly.

_You forgot 'flirtatious' and 'annoying as hell'_ I thought distantly. "Ha ha."

"Come on, tell me! Any fortune teller from that circus has to be _absolutely_ right. What's the matter, Ana? Why won't you look at me?" She asked, concerned, and pulled me to a stop next to her in the back yard of her house.

I turned to face her, and the sun hit my hair directly for the first time. She gasped, pulling some of it closer to her eyes. "Oh my god, what happened to your _hair_?!"

"It's part of the deal."

Her gaze flicked between my hair and my eyes, looking somewhere between annoyed and confused. "What deal? Ana, you're being all secretive and creepy and _I don't like it_!" She clasped one of my hands in both of hers, expression demanding. "Tell me what's going on with you!"

"I'm part of the _Cirque_ now, Suzanne." I blurted.

A giggle bubbled up between her lips. "Don't be silly, Ana! You're not part of _Le Cirque des_ _Rêves_ any more than I'm part of the FFA." She laughed, making the name sound much better due to her three years of French class.

"Yes I am!" I snapped, ripping my hand from her loosened grasp. "You just don't want to lose me as your shadow! That's all I really am to you, and you know it. Everything's always about the Wonderful Suzanne! Well, I'm sorry that you can't accept the fact that I'm capable of things you could never even imagine!"

"What the fuck has gotten into you?!" Suzanne gasped, taking a step back from me. "Ana, you're my best friend, not my lackey. And what do you mean you can do things? What _mystical_ _talent_ could you have possibly developed that made you so invaluable to the circus that they hired you on the spot?"

_What do you have that I don't have?_ It was the underlying meaning to her acid-tinged questions. A question easily answered with a simple show. I took her hands in mine, ignoring it when she tried to struggle free, and smiled gently at her. "Suzanne, watch."

She stopped, her mouth open in a perfect 'o' as the silver drops fell from our joined hands to the ground. They spread out in the mirrored surface from my duel with Kristoff, but from there it rippled and twisted in on itself. From the small crests of the waves, branches and leaves and thorns intertwined, flowers blooming in the spaces between until we were surrounded in a garden the color of stars.

"You… you did this?" Her enormous blue eyes took in our surroundings in disbelief. "How… how did you learn how to do all of this?"

I shook my head, letting go of her hands. "It's a secret. I'm sorry for saying all of those awful things to you." I added softly.

She wiped a few tears that I hadn't noticed from her eyes, smiling almost bitterly. "Don't be; most of it was true." She hugged me quickly and, just as fast, darted up the stairs to the door. Hand on the door knob, she turned to me with a rueful grin. "I'm glad you found a place for your tastes, Ana."

"Here." I pulled the silver ticket from my pocket and held it out to her. "I won't be needing it anymore."

She stared wordlessly down at it for a moment before gently slipping it into her clutch. "C'mon. Let's go get you packed, before Mom gets back from the graveyard shift at the hospital."

**A/N: Please review. Please.**


	5. Manners of Speaking: Goodbye

**A/N: Damn writer's block. I own naught but my OCs and this plot. *sigh* If only Le Cirque Des Rêves could get the fanbase it deserves. Anyway, read and enjoy!**

_Night 2-3: Saying 'I'm sorry', 'Goodbye', 'Hello', and 'Please, no more!'_

_Part II- 'Goodbye'_

Ana's POV

"Alright," Suzanne sighed, plopping down on the lid of my ancient (and currently overstuffed) trunk to close it, "that should be the last of it."

I clamped the locks down on my suitcase and stared around at the expanse of what used to be my room. We'd managed to furiously pack all of my belongings into a few cardboard boxes and assorted types of luggage within an hour or so. Now the room looked barren, ownerless, nothing left to it but the furniture. I wiped a bit of perspiration from my brow with a smirk. "Looks kinda like it did when I first moved in with you guys, huh?"

Suzanne let out a chuckle. "Talk about a time warp."

I smiled at her, half-lost in memory. "You'll have to make sure to come see the _Cirque_ whenever it's close by. Don't let that free ticket go to waste."

"_Please_, as if I would pass up the chance to see Kristoff." She snorted, flipping her blonde hair down her back. "Or you." She added hastily, her cheeks turning red.

I laughed, ignoring the odd clenching feeling in my stomach and chest. I stood up, brushing imaginary dust from my backside and reaching for one of the worn handles of the trunk. "Come on, let's get all this in the car."

Suzanne leaned against the side of the car once everything was packed up into the back, watching me from over the roof of it. "Hey, promise me something."

I eyed her suspiciously as I opened the passenger-side door. "What?"

"Make sure you have fun, okay? Like, a shitload of it. But don't do anything I wouldn't do." She paused. "Scratch that, do everything, no matter what it is. Take care of yourself, but don't be troublesome. Don't forget to call me, or email me, something. And stay away from Kristoff, because he's mine." She added with a wink.

I smirked at her. "That's a lot of _something_s."

"Damn right, and you're going to hold up to all of them because you're a good little girl."

"Okay." Suzanne sighed, crossing her arms over her chest with a pout. "I officially hate you."

I rolled my eyes at her theatrics, setting the last box on my low table as she eyed the private portion of my tent with envy. She touched every surface, laid on my bed, taking in the general splendor of the room while I worked on settling in, though she seemed to be doing a better job of it. "You _could_ help, you know."

She waved at me dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, in a minute. My god, Ana, this bed feels _so_ _good_! And the walls are so gorgeous; I would _kill_ to be you right now. I'm contemplating my hit list as we speak, seriously. You sure you don't need me to come along? You know, for company."

"You'd have to dye your hair." I chuckled, taking some books from the trunk and shelving them. "And you couldn't wear any color while the Circus was open."

"I could do that!" she insisted, hugging one of the pillows to her chest. "It wouldn't matter to me! As long as I would get to stay, I would totally dress like you—no offense intended—I'd just have to make up for it during my off time. "

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye as I popped open one of the boxes. "I don't think you'd be allowed to talk, either."

At the thought of having to be quiet for any period of time seemed to terrify her as I watched the color leech from her face before rushing to pool into her cheeks. "I know that! Good grief, you make it out like I do nothing but talk-talk-talk all the fricking time! I can be quiet whenever I like to."

I blinked at her slowly, deliberately. "Uh-_huh_."

I barely caught the pillow before it could hit my face and fell back onto one of the enormous plush cushions, laughing. She followed soon after, elbowing me in the stomach. I smacked her with the pillow, kicking out at her.

"Oooh, doesn't _this_ look like fun!" a rich, familiar voice purred from behind my head, near the door. Suzanne immediately leapt away from me, her face scarlet all the way to the roots as she fixed her hair and shirt. I twisted around to see Kristoff leaning in my doorway, molten gold eyes drinking in the sight before him, Marishka slinking past him and into the room. It was still several hours' time until the Circus opened, and he was dressed in black jeans, motorcycle boots and a gold-embroidered poet's shirt the color of fresh blood. "Mind if I join in?"

I glared at him, sitting up just as the tigress pounced on me, her tongue like warm sandpaper on my cheek. She weighed a ton, her massive front paws keeping me pinned at each shoulder as Kristoff meandered in, practically ignoring Suzanne as he surveyed my room, his gaze occasionally flicking to me. "Your room looks lovely." He said conversationally, running his fingertips lightly over my bookshelf.

I snorted, pushing ineffectually at the large cat's chest, her soft fur warm beneath my palms. "It's not finished yet. I was in the middle of unpacking, so if you would please get her off of me, it would be greatly appreciated."

He threw his dark head back and laughed, a sound that made Suzanne literally shiver as she watched him wander around my room as if he owned the place. "You think I can make her do something she doesn't want to?"

"Well, that's kind of _implied_ in your job title, Mr. Wild-Cat Tamer."

He threw himself down onto my bed, nestling deeply into the soft mattress and all but purring with contentment. "Mmm, yes it is, but Marishka is special. If you'd like, I could unpack for you."

"No thanks." The thought of him going through my personal belongings was _highly_ unappealing, to say the least; as it was, seeing him on my bed made my stomach twist itself into knots. I looked away from his intense gaze to the tigress, staring her full in the face. My hands still on her chest, I watched a silvery bubble grow around me, expanding so much as to lift the tigress off of me and spill her over to the side. It disappeared once its purpose was fulfilled, and I stood quickly so as to avoid being trapped again.

Marishka seemed mildly put out by this, pacing to the foot of my bed. Suzanne stroked the tigress as she passed, but the action went largely unnoticed. With a sigh she pulled the suitcase closer to her, undoing its clasps and pulling out various types of shirts and pants. I smiled at her in thanks and opened another box, turning my back on Kristoff.

"I'm starving!" Suzanne groaned not two minutes later, pushing the suitcase away from herself. "Let's go get something to eat. It's not like the boxes are going anywhere."

"I'm fine, you go on ahead." I said absently, shelving my favorite DVDs in the extra space next to the books.

"If you say so." She shrugged, turning her large eyes on Kristoff, who was currently taunting Marishka with the bed's curtain. She smiled prettily up at him, batting her eyelashes a bit, and I had the urge to brain myself on my coffee table. "What about you? Care to join me?"

He glanced at her, beaming angelically. "No thanks, Susie, but I would love a drink. Could you be a darling and fetch one for me?"

I stiffened, prepared to snarl at him in her defense, but she was completely oblivious to the fact that he was using her as a waitress. Her face glowed with happiness as she leapt to her feet, only too eager to do whatever he asked of her. "Will do! Be back soon!" She called over her shoulder, dashing from the room.

I shook my head at her behavior, delving back into the box's interior. I was still steaming a bit from Suzanne's hunky-dory attitude and Kristoff's general existence, lost in thought and the task at hand, when I felt him behind me. I side-stepped before his arms could close around me, not managing to escape him completely as his long fingers wrapped around my wrist. He cocked his head, smirking at me. "Where do you think you're going, love?"

_Away from you._ I shrugged, expression aloof save for my narrowed eyes. The corners of his lips quirked up a bit as he pulled me closer, my free hand trapped between us. His eyes were hot on my face as the tip of his nose grazed mine. I stiffened, trying to pull away, but he just smiled, clutching me to him. His lips grazed my knuckles, and I fought hard not to shiver. _Stupid jerk with his freaking stupid eyes and stupid soft-looking hair and face and stupid wonderful body—_ I cut that thought process off then and there, feeling the warmth creep up my neck. His smile widened upon seeing the blush, and I wanted so badly to deck him.

"Let me go, Kristoff."

"Your lips say one thing, but your blush says another." He murmured.

_Let's try this again. _I brought my knee up, hard, into his stomach and stomped on his foot for good measure. I twisted away from him as he stumbled back with a groan, Marishka lifting her large head to survey the scene with interest.

"That wasn't very nice." He laughed, voice hoarse, as he fell into one of the cushions, clutching his abdomen. The tigress padded over to her master, resting her great mass mostly in his lap, like she was the Godzilla of all kittens.

I glared at him, putting the coffee table between us. "Neither was holding me against my will."

He chuckled, taking in my aggressive posture. "Against your will? Could've fooled me, love, what with those lovely, rosy cheeks of yours."

"Shut up!" I snarled, hurling a candle at his head.

He caught it with one hand a centimeter in front of his face, without flinching. He brought it in front of his nose, scenting it like it was a glass of wine. "Cinnamon. I commend your taste."

I wanted to hurt him. I settled for throwing my hands up in the air and turning away before I could lunge across the table at him. I broke down the empty boxes, setting them aside, and stowed the trunk and suitcase under the bed. I put the clothes Suzanne had left all over my floor away in their proper new homes, all the while with Kristoff's golden eyes trained on me like a hawk. It's hard to get things done while you're being watched. "Don't you have somewhere better to be, something to do?!"

He grinned, loving how easily provoked I apparently was. "Absolutely not. Until we open, I am _all_ yours."

"No thank-you." I said, heading towards the door.

"Wait! Ana, wait!" He growled a curse and I heard him stumbling after me, Marishka undoubtedly one step behind him. "Damn it, Ana, why are you fighting me so hard?!"

I let out a disbelieving laugh. "Not every female alive is going to think you're God's gift to women, Kristoff!" I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing. "Why don't you go check on your freaking cats?"

"Ana—,"

"Just leave me alone, Kristoff!" I yelled, running from the tent. I abruptly ran into Suzanne, who dropped a bottle of lemonade she'd been carrying, presumably for Kristoff. I mumbled an apology to her but didn't stop as I ran through the small alleyways between the tents until I found the one I wanted.

The ever-falling snow in the Ice Garden and cool temperatures helped me to get a grip on my temper. I sat down in the snow next to the frozen fountain, pulling my knees to my chest, and tried to get control of my heart rate. I made a crystalline bubble like before, forming it around a bit of snow, and shook it up. My custom-made snow globe brought a gentle smile to my face. I opened it up a bit more, leaning over to a nearby cluster of frozen poppies and enclosing one in the sphere.

"That's pretty."

I blinked at Suzanne in her brilliant emerald dress and blue boots, all of the colors she wore burning against the brilliant white of the garden. I struggled with my victorious smile when I noticed she still had the lemonade in her hand. "Hey, Suz."

She smiled at me, coming to perch on the edge of the fountain next to me. "Holy crap it's cold in here!" she whined, chafing her arms with her hands.

I smirked at her. "You really should be wearing a coat in this kind of weather."

She stuck her tongue out at me, making me laugh. "Oh, hush you!"

We sat in silence for a bit, drinking in the frost-laden air and the quiet calm that filled the area. Suzanne rolled the lemonade bottle between her palms, deep in thought, while I formed creatures out of the snow.

"So," she started after a bit, setting the bottle down between her feet. "I ran into Widget in the dining area Backstage."

"There's a dining area?"

She nodded. "Yeah, one of the performers led me there. Anyway, they said that tonight's the last night that you all are going to be here for a while."

That explained her new somber attitude, though honestly I didn't know who she'd miss more, Kristoff or me. I'd hope me. "We were bound to have to leave at some point, Suz."

"Yeah, I know. I was just hoping to have a little more time, I guess." She looked away from me, apparently uncomfortable admitting that she would miss having me around. I bumped her leg playfully, but her mood wasn't as easily shifted. She took a deep breath, letting it out in a heavy sigh. "I think… I think it would be easier on me if I left now."

I whipped my head around, staring at her with wide eyes. "What, seriously?! You're not going to come back tonight?"

She shook her head, ruffling my hair with a small smile. "Nah, I'll be okay. Besides, who knows how bad your first little show will be?" she grimaced, teasing. "Come back soon, you hear me? And don't forget to call me, write me, email me, carrier-pigeon—," she cut off with a laugh as I threw a snowball at her face. "You get the idea."

I watched her stand, brushing the snow from her dress and hair. She gave me a smile so warm it could've melted the garden around us in an attempt to mask the tears I could see welling up in her eyes. "Fuck, I promised I wouldn't cry." She laughed, leaning her head back so that her tears wouldn't mess up her makeup. When she was done with her emotional overflow, she swiped her fingertips under her eyes, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Well, I do believe there's an _unbelievably_ attractive wild-cat tamer for me to bid farewell to… if you catch my drift."

She winked at me, strutting away. "See you around, Ana."

Widget's POV

I strolled through the grounds towards my tent, on my way to get ready for the _Cirque_ to open. The sun was riding low in the sky, the light breeze flowing between the heavy canvas tents like water. While my intended destination had been my own tent, I found myself walking into Ana's instead.

Ana. She was an intriguing one.

Before I could think any further on her or my intrigue in her, I noticed that I wasn't alone in the performing area. I glared at Kristoff where he lay in the middle of the stage, eyes closed, his tigress curled against his side. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The wild-cat tamer sat up, pushing his pitch-colored hair from his eyes. "Waiting for the Lady Illusionist to return. And you, Murray?"

I stiffened, an odd, vaguely angry heat spiking through me. I glared at him, clenching my jaw. "What's your _problem_ with her? Are you still pissed because of her little 'exhibition'?"

"Now, now, no need to get all territorial. I've no problem with her. I just like playing with her every now and again, that's all." He chuckled, his eyes challenging.

"_Why_?"

Kristoff gave me an exasperated smile. "Everything has to have a reason with you, doesn't it? You want to know why I like to push her until she lashes out? Because she's _fun_ like that, that's why!"

I felt my blood stir and heat in my veins in anger. "_Fun_? Are you serious?! She's a woman, not a toy!"

A wicked grin graced the other man's face. "Indeed, she is a woman. Tell me, Murray, have you any intentions towards her?"

I refused to let the blush develop in my face. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I'd yet to eat my late-afternoon snack. "Are you kidding me? For crying out loud, Chamberlain, we just met her two nights ago!"

He shrugged elegantly. "So? I must say, if you're not man enough to make a move, by all means say so now. I wouldn't hesitate to try to make her mine."

I stared at him hard, trying not for the first time to understand how his thoughts worked. Did he have 'intentions' towards Ana? Probably. But if he did, why didn't he just come out and say it, instead of dancing around the topic? Stupid tiger-lover and his damned riddles. This entire brief encounter was causing me to develop a migraine. That coupled with my grumbling stomach only served to agitate me further. "If you're interested in her, do whatever the hell you want. I can't say that it's in your favor, seeing as how little she seems to like you."

Kristoff smirked. "My my, what an evasive non-answer. Very well, you had your chance to stake a claim. Don't go kicking up a fuss when some other man takes her breath away."

I let out a derisive snort. "I suppose you're speaking of yourself?"

"You _suppose_ incorrectly." He chuckled, rising to his feet in one fluid motion. "She is a toy, and I do not get emotionally attached to my toys."

I wanted to rip my hair from my head. "But you just—!"

"Ana, my sweet." Kristoff grinned, stepping around me with a grin that threatened to split his face in two. I turned to see the new illusionist glaring at Kristoff from behind Poppet and Tsukiko, their arms full to practically bursting with several types and styles of fabrics in varying monochromatic shades, some of them sparkling like stars under the low lighting of the tent. "Ah, I see the fittings for your new costumes went well. Care to have a private viewing party?"

"Costumes! Hardly; they're just _gowns_." Ana chuckled, leading the other two women towards her private room. "And the answer to your question is _no_." she said, packing an immense amount of disdain into the single-syllable word.

"Hello, Ana." I greeted when her gaze locked with mine, a pleasing feeling shooting through me at the sight of the smile on her lips. "Are you excited for your first show tonight?"

She shifted the heavy dresses in her arms, her smile widening in thanks when I took them from her. "Honestly, I'm a little nervous."

Kristoff snorted. "Nothing to be nervous _about_, love. Just go out, show them a few '_illustrious illusions'_, and relax until the next show. Here," he added, seeing the disbelief in her expression, "I know how to take your mind off of it."

I clenched my jaw in fury as he swooped forward, pulling her close, and slanted his mouth across hers. Poppet blinked in surprise while Tsukiko's inquisitive yet omniscient gaze swept back and forth between me, Kristoff and Ana. Curiosity turned to merriment in the contortionist's eyes when Ana pulled her fist back, throwing her weight into the strike. The blow connected with his jaw, causing him to stumble away from her, grinning like a madman.

As Ana and her new friends disappeared into her room, Kristoff turned to me with a smirk, rubbing his reddening jaw. "So what's your _real_ answer?"

I stared hard at the part of the tent wall that gave way to her room, trying not to think of the way her newly-made-midnight hair fluttered in the soft wind or how it felt like a vice had tightened around my chest when I saw her smile. "Alright."

**A/N: Please review.**


	6. Manners of Speaking: 'Hello'

**A/N: The Night Circus does not belong to me, just my OCs.**

_Night 3: Saying 'I'm sorry', 'Goodbye', 'Hello', and 'Please, no more!'_

_Part III- 'Hello'_

_Or_

_It's a Brave New World, Little Tigress_

Ana's POV

"I need you to suck in your stomach just a _little_ bit more." Tsukiko said, giving the stays of my corset another vicious tug.

"I can't!" I gasped, digging my fingers into the bedpost I was clinging to for support.

Poppet laughed from where she sat on my bed, dressed and ready to go save her veils, which trailed from her lap to the rugs on the floor. "If you tighten that dress any more, her stomach will be mashed between her lungs!"

With a chuckle, Tsukiko tied it off, backing away as I adjusted to my new way of highly-restricted breathing. I held a hand to my chest, feeling the erratic beating of my heart there. "Is the corset… really necessary?"

The contortionist smiled at me, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief. "No, but it does look excellent."

I shot her a glance but said nothing, stiffly falling onto the couch. I wrinkled my nose and fussed with my bodice, pulling my boots closer to me. "How am I supposed to perform in this?"

"You'll get used to it pretty fast." Poppet said kindly, re-pinning a loose lock of my hair back into its elaborate up-do. I smiled back, ignoring the nervous little spasms my stomach was going through the closer the time came to the _Cirque's_ opening. She looked down at my choice of footwear and made a face like she'd tasted something sour. "Are you _really_ going to wear those with this dress? I'm sure I could hunt up an adorable pair of heels in your size."

The offer made my smile widen. _Lose one Suzanne, gain another_ I thought. I grinned at her, pulling on the boots. "There's nothing wrong with wearing knee-high boots with this dress."

"To each their own, I suppose." She said with a shrug, stepping back and helping me to my feet. She had me do a little twirl so she could take in the entirety of the ensemble and clapped her hands with delight. "Oh, you look wonderful, Ana!"

I blushed lightly, mumbling a thank-you. "Here, let's get your veils on. It's almost time." The contortionist brought them over and helped me pin them in the correct places so that none of Poppet's brilliant hair could be seen, draping the last of it over her face.

Bailey poked his head in the door, checking his watch. "Time to get to your positions, ladies."

"Thank you Bailey." I said, pressing one hand to my stomach to try to squash those damned butterflies as they rioted inside me.

He gave me a sympathetic smile. "You'll do great, Ana." Poppet repeated the sentiment, touching me lightly on my shoulder as she passed. Tsukiko just smiled like she had a secret, though I supposed that's the only way she knew how to, and left with the others, leaving me alone with my worries.

"I do believe you're missing something, Miss Illusionist."

I whirled around at the voice, anxiety temporarily forgotten. "Celia!"

My ghostly predecessor smiled at me from where she stood by my bookshelf, eyes wandering around the room. "My, it sure has changed in here since it was mine. It looks nice." Her gaze returned to me. "You look lovely, Ana."

"Thank you. What do you mean, I'm missing something?"

I watched as she drifted over to the closet, through the door I'd left open, and looked pointedly up at something on the top shelf. With a sigh I went and pulled down the object; it was a dusty, round box. I let my hands hover over its lid and looked to Celia, who nodded encouragingly. I carefully removed the lid and set it to the side, pulling out a black silk top hat. "Oh, wow."

She smiled down at it like it was an old friend before looking to me, bemused. "Well, aren't you going to put it on?"

"Oh, right!" I adjusted my hold on it before gently setting it on my hair, letting it slip sideways a bit. "It won't, ah, ruin my hair, will it?" Poppet would murder me if it did, I knew.

Celia's laugh filled the room. "No, don't worry about it. It never messed _my_ hair, anyway." She chuckled, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Her smile softened. "It's time, Ana."

I looked to the door and felt the urge to be violently ill. "Celia—,"

"Hush, now. Go out there and dazzle them with your talent." She made shooing motions towards the door and vanished before I could say anything.

I stared at the door like it was a poisonous snake waiting to strike. "Ugh, kill me now." I groaned, shuffling to the door. I hesitated, my hand resting lightly on the door knob, and took a deep breath before entering the empty performance area. As soon as my bedroom door shut behind me, the entrance on the other side opened, admitting people who wanted to see me.

_People_.

Oh, God.

"Deep breaths Ana, _deeeeeeep_ breaths." I murmured low to myself, barely louder than a whisper. I closed my eyes, rolling my shoulders a bit. _In, 1, 2, 3—out, 1, 2, 3_. I repeated this several times until my heart felt somewhat back under control. I opened my eyes slowly, taking in the people who had filtered in while I'd been fighting a panic attack. There was a little boy in the front row, his eyes wide with the wonders he'd seen simply coming through the _Cirque_ to my tent. With a thrill, I realized I was probably the first tent he'd come to this evening. There was a couple about my age waiting expectantly not too far from him, the girl practically sitting on his lap. In the back was a cluster of women dressed as though they just came from the office, perusing their iPhones as they waited for me to begin. Also in the back, between the entrance and my bedroom, were two men, one on either side of the room. The dim lighting made it difficult to make out their faces without blatantly and somewhat awkwardly staring at them. I waited a while, unsure of when to begin as a few more people filtered in, and the door closed on its own. _Showtime._

I lifted my chin, allowing myself a small smile, and decided to start small. I heard the audience gasp as the silver flames ignited on my fingertips, covering me up to the elbow like living gloves and dripping onto the stage. From there they spread like water, the little boy laughing delightedly as my flames shifted, turning into creatures from the Carousel, miniaturized: the nine-tailed fox, the gryphon, the raven, all of them. They spread out amongst the crowd, one of the secretary-like women screaming as the snake passed her foot, causing her friends to chuckle. The lion pounced at the shoe of one of the men in the back, roaring when he reached down to pet its head.

I cupped my hands before me, the silver fire pooling there, and blew. The drops turned into flower petals that floated and spun in the air about the audience. The creatures, momentarily forgotten, returned to me and climbed into the top hat, which I'd set upside-down on the floor, except for the dragon. He had climbed up my arm and now perched on my shoulder, spewing little silver sparks and beating his delicate wings. I noticed the little boy had not taken his eyes from the dragon since it had formed; with a smile I took the dragon from my shoulder and had it fly to perch on his knee.

"It's real," he whispered, gently stroking its horned back and head with a fingertip, careful to mind the sparks it occasionally spat, "it's really real!"

I smiled at him, the dragon curling up on his lap to take a nap. The flower petals fell back to the ground, where they grew stems and leaves that intertwined until they formed a garden that filled the entire tent. I saw the boyfriend of the girl in the front row bend down and pluck one of the roses next to him, tucking it behind her ear and earning a quick kiss in response. The secretaries picked a flower each, tucking them in their hair or jacket pocket, like my magic was a souvenir. I had no clue if the flowers would stay, but I didn't mind if they did.

Mindful of how long I'd probably been taking, I watched as the garden exploded into a million tiny birds that flew to the top of the tent, where they vanished. The exit opened, though it seemed to take people a moment to realize it. I got a standing ovation as I bowed low, scooping up my hat and settling it back on my head.

When I straightened back up, everyone but one of the two men and the little boy was gone or leaving. The little boy stood in front of me, holding the dragon like it was a priceless treasure, though I noticed the dragon was no longer breathing. "Um, excuse me," He mumbled, looking as if this was causing him great pain, "but I think you forgot your dragon."

He looked like he was about to burst into tears as he held out the dragon in silent offering.

I knelt down next to the boy, smiling, and tapped the dragon on its head. The little boy gasped when it shuddered back to life, clambered up his shoulder and wrapped itself around his neck, spitting fire at my face. _Well, that brings a whole new life to the term 'spit-fire'_. I thought irritably. I leaned forward, mindful of the dragon, and murmured, "I don't think he's mine anymore."

The boy's eyes shimmered with hope. "Does that mean I can keep him?"

"Will you still like him, even if he stops…ah…moving?" I asked, trying to be delicate about it.

He nodded so fiercely I thought his head would go flying off, making me smile. "I will! I'll take really, _really_ good care of him, I promise!"

I laughed, grinning widely. "Then he's all yours." The boy whooped with joy, gripping the dragon to his chest as if to make it a part of him as he sprinted away.

I got back up to my feet, adjusting my hat, and looked to see that the guy still hadn't left the tent, though the door had shut to allow me a break. The mini lion was lying on its back in his lap, pawing at the hand he teased it with. I moved over to him, sitting sideways in the chair in front of him. He wore acid-wash jeans and a dark green coat over a simple white t-shirt, very different from his usual garb, but his boots were the same, as were his gloves.

"Don't you have any shows tonight, Kristoff?"

He lifted his head, smirking, his golden eyes warm beneath the brim of his hat. "What gave me away?"

I reached forward, poking the lion in the stomach. "He did, mostly. The gloves and boots gave you up, too."

He let out a cross between a sigh and a chuckle, setting his hat on the chair next to him. "And to think I tried so hard to be covert. The show was wonderful, by the way. I'd never have guessed that it was your first time performing."

I mentally cursed the blush as it warmed my cheeks. Damned flatterer. "Thank you." For a distraction, I tweaked the lion's ears, watching as its mane disappeared, its tail fluffing out and stripes darkening in its snowy coat.

Kristoff's face lit up with mirth as he held the tiny tigress aloft, staring into her brilliant silvery blue eyes. "She's beautiful!" he gasped, pressing his nose to hers. "Look at her lovely eyes, the _fire_ in them! And, oh, the detailing in her stripes!"

I chuckled, watching him practically _worship_ the little cat. He whispered sweet words and adorations into her miniscule ears, planting tender kisses on her head and front paws. "You really love cats, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, especially tigers, though don't tell my other lovelies that." He whispered the last bit conspiratorially. He returned his attention to the tigress, cradling her like a baby. She was just long enough to rest her head in his elbow, her back paws planted firmly in the palm of his hand. Her pale eyes ordered him to stroke her stomach, and he obeyed. "Whatever shall I call you, my darling?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Who says you get to call her anything?"

He stuck out his full lower lip in a very impressive pout. "Surely you'll allow me to keep her, seeing as how all the other people who left your premier did so with a gift. You let that little boy have a _dragon_!" He shifted his hold on the tigress, holding her face next to his so they both looked at me, his lip still jutting out. "Please? It's only fair!"

"If you put your lip back the way it should be and stop whining, you may keep her!" I snapped, rubbing my temple.

He all but glowed with victory and happiness, hugging her gently to his chest and tucking her head between his chin and shoulder. He carefully yet quickly leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the corner of my mouth. "Thank you, Ana."

I bolted to my feet, taking a step back from him. My stomach squirmed with the tenderness of the gesture, so foreign when associated with Kristoff. "Just make sure to take care of her, alright?"

"But of course." He chuckled, standing as well. "I've taken up enough of your time, I suppose. I'll drop by with the little one once I've decided what to name her. Enjoy the rest of your night." He inclined his head to me, picked up his hat, and ducked through the tent exit, the tigress staring at me over his shoulder until he turned the corner.

**A/N: If you liked it, didn't like it, or are utterly indifferent, please review.**


	7. Manners of Speaking: Please, no more!

**A/N: Hey, long time no see! Yeah, sorry about disappearing like that on you, but I started up this Rise of the Guardians fanfiction and got a little carried away by it. I'm dusting it off, however, and continuing on. So here goes; read and enjoy!**

_Night 3: Saying 'I'm sorry', 'Goodbye', 'Hello', and 'Please, no more!'_

_Part VI: 'Please, no more!'_

Ana's POV

I watched the last of the patrons leave through the velvet tunnel from where I peeked behind the flap of my tent, feeling light as air. First night as the new Illusionist, and I'd been a complete success—at least, that's what Poppet had said after my final performance. Kristoff hadn't returned at all, which was a huge relief for my shaken nerves.

With a happy sigh I turned away from the entryway, letting the flap drift closed. I practically skipped to the center of the stage, throwing my arms wide and doing a quick twirl, lips parting in a grin. Laughing, I continued on to my private quarters, tossing my hat onto my dressing table and throwing myself down into the plush oasis of my bed, feeling myself sink as the bed gave way beneath me. It gave me something akin to a high, performing tonight. Though the best performance, I thought, was my first; the look on the little boy's face when I told him he could keep the dragon was _priceless_.

"Knock, knock." I twisted around and propped myself up on my elbows to identify the intruder.

My eyes widened in pleasant surprise, and I refused to acknowledge the pink tinge that probably colored my throat. "Widget!"

He grinned at me from where he stood in a doorway I'd never noticed before, between my wardrobe and a bookcase, as he twirled a bowler hat around one black silk-clad finger. His usual mop had been slicked back, making him seem older and more mature. "Hello Ana. How're you feeling?"

I smiled back, getting to my feet and giving my skirts a quick twitch to rearrange them. "On top of the world!"

"That's great." His eyes were gentle as they settled on mine. "Got any plans for the rest of the day?"

"Nope." I didn't need sleep, right?

A mischievous sparkle entered his eyes, reminding me of his sister, as he settled the hat back on top of his head before holding out his hand to me. "Then come along with me, if you please."

His long fingers wrapped around mine, pulling me along with him. "Where are we going?"

He flicked a glance at me over his shoulder, chuckling. "Wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?" I opened my mouth to respond, but found nothing to say. I looked around me in wonder as we continued along. It was like one unending corridor, lined on either side by doors the color of fresh blood, and branching off here and there like roots with smaller hallways. Each door had a gold plaque bearing the name of the room's owner or, in some cases, the name of one of the tents.

"What _is_ this place?"

"It's Backstage. It connects all of the tents together." He answered quickly without breaking stride, quickly towing me along behind him. "Hurry up, now, or we'll be late."

I made a face at his back but complied, hastening to try to match his longer stride. I let out a yelp as he suddenly jerked me to the left, down one of the narrow, off-branching hallways, my boots squeaking on the ebony floorboards. "Slow down, Widget! My legs are shorter than –!" The rest of my complaint was cut off as I slammed into his back; he'd stopped suddenly in front of a door, throwing it open wide to reveal…the canvas side of a tent?

"Here we are," Widget pulled me around so I was in front of him, and I frowned as I realized the dull thumping noise was really loud music, "Poppet, we're here!"

Poppet's head poked through the side of the tent, revealing the edge of a flap, and beamed at us. "It's about time, Widge! What'd you do, take her out on the scenic route? Oh, never mind! Ana, get _in_ here!" She laughed, golden bangles jingling on her arm as she reached out, grabbing my wrist and ripping me through the entrance.

"Oh, wow." I breathed, eyes enormous as I took in my surroundings. The only black and white to be found in here was me—everything else, much like the interior of my tent, was in every other color or hue imaginable. Members of the _Cirque_ danced or flitted from one small group to the next, not one of them wearing a speck of snow- or ink-colored anything (besides their hair, that it—not much they could do about that). Poppet even was clad in head-to-toe green and gold, making her hair stand out even more than usual, her eyes lined with emerald eyeliner. Looking behind me, I noticed that under his coat Widget was wearing a midnight blue silk suit. He quickly retired his coat, gloves and hat to a nearby chair, leaving me the odd woman out. "I need to go back and change!" I gasped, making for the tent flap. "I don't fit in at all right now."

"Easy, easy!" Poppet laughed, not relinquishing her hold on my wrist. "It's alright if you stand out tonight; it's _your_ party, after all!"

I turned to face her, confused. "_My_ party?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's not every day we get a new member to our family. Of course this party is for you."

I took a fistful of the mist-like fabric of the skirt of my dress, watching as it brightened from pitch black to a brilliant amethyst, my boots the rich color of plums. "That's better." I smiled, satisfied.

"Yes, it's lovely—now, let's sit down so we can eat, shall we?" she giggled, motioning to the several large tables positioned around the vast space. I was suddenly famished, and proceeded to tug _her_ and Widget towards one of the tables. Food was brought out, each course so beautifully prepared that were it not for how hungry I was, I probably couldn't have dared to eat it. On the bright side, it tasted even better than it looked. Everything was absolutely delicious, and I wasn't sure if I was more upset or pleased by the fact that I had no idea what it was I was eating. The best part, of course, was the dessert; several different little cakes surrounded by sugar flowers, small spun sugar globes like colored glass containing different flavors of custard.

Poppet leaned over to me, whispering conspiratorially, "We usually have these sorts of dinner parties at midnight, but tonight was a special circumstance. Do you like it?"

My mouth was too full to vocally respond, so I settled for nodding emphatically.

"Good, then let's go dance!" She said excitedly, pulling me up from my chair.

I swallowed quickly to clear my mouth of any food. "But I haven't finished my dessert yet!"

Poppet grinned, shaking her head, and laughed as she pulled me towards where the others were dancing. Voices called and greeted me from every direction, and I smiled.

I reemerged an indeterminable amount of time later, loose tendrils of hair clinging to my face and neck with sweat, feeling slightly light-headed. They were playing songs from almost every music genre or, even, _era_. I hummed along with the music under my breath as I headed over to the refreshment area, vision a bit hazy. A new song came on; I recognized it as _1940_ (the Amplive remix) by The Submarines.

I got a glass of the punch, downing it in a matter of gulps, and repeated the process a few more times until my thirst was sated. The light-headed feeling didn't go away; it spread instead to the rest of me, my throat burning strangely, and everything took on a vague glow. I set my glass down on a nearby table, looking around for Poppet. I caught a flash of forest-green, seeing her dancing with an ocher-clad Bailey on the other side of the room. A broad, red-clad chest intercepted my path, and as I tilted my head back I recognized the whirling golden eyes beneath the mess of black hair. "Kristoff," I blinked slowly up at him, as if not fully recognizing him, my head taking on an almost aviary tilt.

His perfect teeth flashed in an irritating smile. "Ana, won't you dance with me?" he asked warmly, his fingers circling my wrists, rubbing soft circles across my palms. "I promise not to bite." He breathed in my ear, voice full of laughter, and pressed his lips to the skin just below my ear.

I snatched my hands away from his grasp, but turned around and returned to the dance floor anyway, his breath cool on the back of my neck. Once we were part of the writhing, dancing masses, I felt his hands on my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder so our cheeks brushed.

"I don't remember agreeing to dance with you." I murmured, knowing that he would probably hear me even over the loud reverberating beat of the music.

He hummed low in the back of his throat, the sound vibrating through us like a growl. "I don't see you pushing me away, either."

"I'm getting to it." I mumbled, feeling as if my blood was too hot in my veins. I looked down at my arms, feeling a distant form of shock as I realized my silver fire had made an appearance, licking up my arms towards my throat. "Odd,"

"Not odd," Kristoff corrected, pulling one of my hands up to twirl me before grazing his lips across my knuckles, "beautiful."

I threw my head back with a laugh, pulling my hand back from him with a knowing smirk. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to. _You_ are nothing but trouble."

He grinned back down at me predatorily, pulling me close and placing a lingering kiss on my cheek as I scowled. "Mmm, I know. Isn't that marvelous?"

"Shove off."

He let out a derisive snort, fingers digging into my back. "If you _really_ meant that, you'd do something to prove your point."

"_She_ might not do something," said a familiar voice from behind me, slicing through my foggy mind, "but I guarantee you that _I_ will."

Kristoff ignored him. "You look parched, my darling. Can I get you some punch?"

I grimaced. "Please, no more!"

"Kristoff!" Widget snapped in a low voice, making me shiver.

Kristoff raised an eyebrow at Widget over my head. "Murray, what a coincidence; I was just leaving. Here, take the guest of honor for a moment, won't you? Be careful, mind—the punch might've been a _bit_ too much for her." He spun me in a quick turn before letting me crash unceremoniously into Widget and vanishing among the crowd.

"Are you alright?" Widget asked, peering down into my flushed face with concern.

I used his shoulders for support so I could stand instead of just lean against him, my arm aching from where it had been pinned between the two of us. "I'll be fine, I just need to sit down for a bit." He nodded, looking as though he didn't entirely believe me, and looped an arm around my waist to help me through the jostling crowd. He directed me towards a chair by the entrance from earlier, making sure I wouldn't wander off before leaving to the refreshment table. _Please_, I prayed, _no_ _more_ _punch_.

When he returned, it was with a glass of cold water instead of punch. I drank from it greedily, as well as taking the offered Tylenol. "Thank you." I said, smiling, as he took the empty glass from me.

"You're welcome." He replied automatically, pressing his hand to my cheek with a frown.

"That feels nice," I sighed, leaning into the cool touch.

His frown deepened, his brow pinching together. "I bet it does; you're positively feverish. How much punch did you have?"

I thought about it, swaying a bit, and held up four fingers.

"There's alcohol in it—did you know that?" he asked, gazing at me levelly.

I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. "That explains it, then."

"Explains what?"

I made a vague motion with my hand to include the entire room. "The glowing, my lightheadedness—why is it so _hot_ in here?" I wiped some of my hair from my eyes.

Widget gave a resigned sigh. "You're drunk, Ana. Hush," he said, irritated, when I opened my mouth to say I most certainly was _not_, "can you stand up for me?"

I pushed away the hand he offered, moving to stand, and let out a startled gasp when my shaky legs gave way beneath me. His arm looped around my stomach to keep me from falling, and his sigh ruffled my hair, electrifying where his breath touched my cheek.

"Take that as a 'no'. Come on, then, can't be helped." His other arm came up beneath my knees, scooping me up so that I was cradled against his chest, my arms going around his neck. I rested my head against his chest as he passed through the entrance, making his way through Backstage to get back to my tent, going slowly so as not to jostle me too much.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly after a beat, closing my eyes.

He shifted me a bit. "It'll be okay. We're almost there now."

I smiled, listening to the quick thudding of his heart against my ear.

Widget's POV

_She smells like cinnamon_, I thought as I carried Ana through her door towards her bed, setting her softly down in her bed. I shook off my dark blue blazer, settling it over her as a cover, and perched on the edge of her bed. The Illusionist's eyelashes were long and dark, forming crescents on her rosy cheeks, lips parted like a child's as she slept. Gently, I pushed a few loose stands of her hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear.

She looked so innocent in her slumber, turning so she lay on her side and tugging the jacket up to her chin. My gaze drifted up to her mouth again, and the temptation to steal a kiss was there. Kristoff would do it in a heartbeat, I knew. I wasn't Kristoff, though.

Carefully and almost painfully slowly, I moved to stand, turning to leave back out the way I'd come.

I felt something pull at my shirt, tugging it free from where I'd had it tucked in. Turning halfway around, I saw that it was her pale hand, fisted in the material. "_Stay_." She commanded sleepily, eyes opening halfway to look up at me.

I blinked down at her dream-filled gaze, startled. "Are you talking to _me_?" I asked somewhat foolishly.

She nodded and pulled harder on my shirt until I sat back down, her lips curling just barely at the corners in a soft smile. "_You_."

I shook my head, smiling down at her in bewilderment. "You're too trusting."

"_You're_ too trusting." She responded childishly, rising up slowly. My blazer fell back to pool around her knees as she pulled herself into an upright position, grasping my shoulders, her eyes cloudy with sleep. I felt my heartbeat hasten as her hands slid around my neck, followed by her arms, bringing her face closer to mine.

"You're drunk, Ana." I reminded her quietly, placing my hands on her waist to steady her.

She scowled at me, resting her forehead against mine. "_I_ see. You don't like me."

"I do like you."

She released her hold on my neck, sitting back and looking away from me. "No, not like…." She let it trail off, toying with her hands in her lap. "Never mind."

"Ana." I reached forward, taking her chin in my hand and turning her face towards mine. I was horrified to see moisture welling up in her lovely blue-green eyes, and found myself leaning forward to kiss the tear that threatened to spill from her lashes. I pulled away slowly, unsure of what to do. "I, ah, better be go—,"

Her face surged towards mine, her mouth pressing to the corner of mine. I blinked at her, unsure of what had just happened.

"Goodnight." She murmured, looking down at her hands again.

I blinked, taking a moment to form a proper thought. "Goodnight, sweet dreams, Ana."

Leaving her with the jacket, I stood from the bed, leaving through the Backstage door and closing it behind me. Poppet lounged against the wall opposite the door, a knowing smirk on her lips.

"What?" I asked, irritable, as I felt throat warm.

Her eyes sparkled merrily. "Uh-huh."

"_What_?!"

She shook her head, the tiny golden bells sewed into her peridot headscarf tinkling lightly. "Nothing, nothing. Goodnight, Widge." She laughed quietly, strolling away towards her room.

**A/N: So ends Night 3. Please review!**


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